Get to know Fort Lauderdale

While Fort Lauderdale usually gets secondary billing among South Florida cities, it doesn’t seem to mind. Although it’s uncompromisingly metropolitan, Fort Lauderdale has managed to corral the explosive growth that big sibling Miami cultivates. However, life here doesn’t want for glamour, and there’s a distinct feeling among locals that their city represents Florida living at its finest. Fort Lauderdale is a city that prides itself on tropical vegetation and manicured lawns. It’s geographically small with an easily navigable layout — you can often arrive at your destination via water taxi — and the weather is breezily Florida-perfect. Gorgeous homes line picturesque canals running through the city. Also sure to be spotted along those waterways: many yachts. As home to tens of thousands of these vessels, Fort Lauderdale more than earns its “Yachting Capital of the World” moniker.

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Fort Lauderdale History & Culture

Due in no small part to its boat-friendly location and ascendance as a Western Hemisphere yachting hub, Fort Lauderdale has boomed along with the rest of South Florida. People of a certain age remember Fort Lauderdale as a legendarily decadent spring break locale, but those days are long past. Today, a healthy population of seasonal citizens bolsters the sun-loving locals, all of whom share the extensive public — but rarely crowded — beaches along the Atlantic shoreline. When not by the sea, residents enjoy the greens of one of many local golf courses or the nearby Everglades National Park. The city has abundant museums and attractions, including the Museum of Discovery & Science and various cultural institutions of local significance. Food and wine festivals, historic home tours, music festivals, art walks, and air shows entertain locals and visitors throughout the year.

Fort Lauderdale Dining & Shopping

South Florida’s great Latin and Caribbean influences are on show in Fort Lauderdale, and fresh Atlantic seafood is the star of many menus. There’s a vibrant café culture here, with outstanding food options found along strip mall sidewalks and in dockside marina restaurants. Las Olas Boulevard is the most popular dining destination, a one-mile strip of breezeways that house trendy restaurants, bars, nightclubs, galleries, and shops. Fort Lauderdale is a shopper’s paradise, so notable that companies arrange bus tours to bring people to the retail action. In addition to the hundred or so boutiques on Las Olas, high-end department stores, a dozen shopping malls, and a wide variety of independent shops are scattered throughout the city. Art and antique collectors will love treasure hunting at well-curated galleries.